DAR ES SALAAM, September 12, 2014 — The Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer for the World Bank Group, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, will embark on the second leg of her official tour of Tanzania with... Show More + a one-day visit to Zanzibar on Saturday, September 13.Mrs. Indrawati will meet with Zanzibar President Dr. Ali Mohammed Shein, several ministers as well as other top Government officials. She will see firsthand the ongoing Bank-financed upgrading and rehabilitation of Zanzibar Airport which is of crucial importance in the country’s competitive tourism industry.To further understand Zanzibar’s development challenges and priorities, Mrs. Indrawati will get the chance to interact with members of coastal communities in areas that were covered by the World Bank-supported Marine and Coastal Environmental Management Project which closed in 2013.The World Bank currently supports Zanzibar’s development through various projects in urbanization and education and Mrs. Mulyani’s visit aims to underpin the Bank’s commitment as a partner in achieving the development goals spelled out in Mkakati wa Kukuza Uchumi na Kupunguza. Umasikini Zanzibar (MKUZA II).“Zanzibar’s economy has greatly benefitted from the growth of its tourism sector over the past two decades,” said Philippe Dongier, the World Bank’s Country Director for Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda. “Investing in urban development will be essential to sustain and diversify growth, as more than half of the population resides in urban areas. The city is also at the heart of what makes Zanzibar a unique tourism destination. In her discussions, Mrs Mulyani will be keen to see how the World Bank Group can help achieve more progress in Zanzibar over the coming years.”Before her appointment to her senior leadership role at the World Bank Group, Indrawati was Minister of Finance for Indonesia, one of Asia’s largest economies. Prior to that, as head of the Indonesian National Development Planning Agency, she coordinated government and international reconstruction efforts following its devastating 2004 tsunami. Show Less -

The World Bank-supported Southwest Indian Ocean Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative (SWIO RAFI) was launched recently, during the fifth Regional Platform for Risk Transfer Mechanisms, with the purpose... Show More + of focusing on improving the understanding of available disaster risk and risk financing solutions, such as insurance or contingent credit.The initiative complements the advancing work of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) to reduce the vulnerability to natural disasters in conjunction with strategies of the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It is being executed with financial support from the European Union in the framework of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program, which is managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). The GFDRR disaster risk financing and insurance experts also advise on increasing financial resilience to natural disasters.“A project of this nature can be very strategic for the southwest Indian Ocean island states by exploring ways to protect against catastrophic events that have a high impact on their development, by identifying comprehensive national risk financing instruments and exploring regional instruments similar to those that have been established in the Caribbean and the Pacific,” said Rafael Munoz Moreno, World Bank country representative in Mauritius.To identify the most suitable solutions, disaster-related data is currently being collected and shared. Once the data is analyzed, national catastrophe risk financing options will be assessed, a regional open data platform (data that is available to any individual, both private and public) will be established and preliminary national disaster risk financing strategies developed. The GFDRR labs team has been key in ensuring the data platform is operational. By comparing the frequency of a disaster event with the severity of impact, different risk financing solutions become available to finance disaster losses. High frequency disasters that have a limited impact, such as localized flooding, might be addressed by a contingency budget or local reserve, while a catastrophic event, such as a major cyclone, could prompt the need for sovereign insurance.“Implementing the SWIO RAFI will not only improve the understanding of the historic impact of natural disasters on these island states, but will also help understand the probable impact of future risks,” said Doekle Wielinga, World Bank senior disaster risk management specialist.SWIO-RAFI will ultimately improve the ability to measure and apply disaster risk data and establish stronger catastrophe risk identification among the island states along with preliminary national disaster risk financing strategies. Such strategies increase a country’s response capacity following a disaster, increase the stability of their fiscal budget and prevent a reversion to expensive and sub-optimal financing sources following a disaster. Show Less -

WASHINGTON, August 27 , 2014 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a total of US$9.3 million in trust fund grants for the Government of Rwanda to help boost land management of... Show More + the Gishwati and Mukura forests and improve the environment, local livelihoods, and climate resilience.This area has lost most of its natural forest in recent decades, and has suffered from severe soil erosion, landslides and floods. But some patches of native forest remain, alongside important biodiversity, including a small population of chimpanzees.The financing in the form of grants from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) will support the Landscape Approach to Forest Restoration and Conservation Project. It will increase the number and diversity of trees to help improve soil fertility, stabilize slopes, regulate stream flow and expand the resource base for local livelihoods.The project will also focus on rehabilitating the forests and its biodiversity, improving sustainable land management and agroforestry, and introducing silvo-pastoral approaches. This will be complemented by direct support to community livelihoods, improved flood forecasting and preparedness, and investments in terracing to prevent land erosion. “The long-term vision is that protecting the Gishwati-Mukura area’s soil, water, forest and scenic riches will support a diverse and profitable economy, and ultimately boost tourism along the Lake Kivu shore. Project activities and coordinated planning across government agencies will play a major role in meeting this goal” said Stephen Ling, World Bank team leader for the project.The rural residents living in the Gishwati-Mukura area, a quarter of whom make up the poorest people as well as those who farm on land highly vulnerable to natural disasters, will benefit directly from increased agricultural production through improved land management, livelihoods diversification and improved flood warning and response systems. Show Less -

GEF Grant: US $5.487 million equivalentLeast Developed Countries' Fund (LDCF) grant: US $4.045 million equivalentProject ID: P131464Project Description: The objective of the project is to boost land management... Show More + of the Gishwati and Mukura forests and improve the environment, local livelihoods, and climate resilience. Show Less -

The Handbook offers suggestions on very practical challenges that developing countries face when trying to retain adequate staff and capacity to handle the complex nature of natural resource revenue administration.... Show More + While government salaries rarely compete with those of the private sector, the Handbook recommends that in resource-rich countries staff dedicated to revenue administration must have relatively competitive salaries in order to retain personnel. To overcome resource obstacles, the Handbook also recommends tactics such as training, performance management and recruitment practices that can help the government retain the professionals needed.The organization of tax administration and inter-agency cooperation in governments is also highlighted as a key component of success. Integrated administration within a tax department is cited as an effective structure due to its simplification and centralization of efforts into one government agency. On the other hand, the Handbook notes that there are many disadvantages of fragmented administration across different government agencies, such as duplication of work, lack of accountability and uncoordinated procedures, among others.“Everyone wants a piece of the pie when it comes to revenue windfalls, so centralization of natural resource revenue administration can be politically difficult, but it is key to ensuring quality control, transparency and capable staffing,” said Jack Calder, author of the Handbook and former Deputy Director of the U.K. Oil Taxation Office.Other challenges unique to natural resources that create special challenges for administration include the high uncertainty and risk inherent in the industry, huge variation in scale and profitability, substantial capital investment, complex commercial structures and long development periods, among many others factors. This long list of challenges and the vast revenues that the extractive industries generate give rise to major governance challenges, especially in a context of weak institutional capacities. The complexities and perceived difficulties of extractive industries revenue administration mean they can get less attention than they deserve. Tax-related administrative reforms and technical assistance to date have focused more on general rather than extractive industries-specific administration—even where EI resources often provide the higher proportion of government revenue. For example, in countries like Nigeria where 75% of total government revenues are hydrocarbon related, extra attention to the complexities of hydrocarbon tax administration is necessary for improved internal revenue mobilization.“Improved administration of revenue is a key component of effective governance of the extractive industries,” said Charles Feinstein, Director of the Energy and Extractives Global Practice of the World Bank Group. “This publication makes an important contribution to knowledge on best practices that can help direct extractive industry revenues towards poverty alleviation and boosting shared prosperity.” Show Less -

Protecting a Global Public Good with Information and Innovation“Natural resource law enforcement is a global public good and not enough is being done in this area,” says William Magrath, Lead Natural... Show More + Resources Economist, The World Bank. “Many of the most damaging environmental crimes involve transnational activities, such as smuggling, where the effectiveness of the authorities in any one country is inherently limited. There are big gaps when it comes to financing, policy and capacity, which is why the environment sector in developing countries is more vulnerable to crime than other sectors and international cooperation is essential."The Bank actively identifies investment and policy reform needs so that it can help fill the gaps. Because there is little information on wildlife crimes and networks, the Bank is funding the ICCWC’s work to establish a mechanism for criminal intelligence. To address the lack of country data, the ICCWC’s analysis of wildlife law enforcement in Peru, Bangladesh, Nepal and Tanzania is also being financed by the Bank.The Bank also supports innovative approaches in the fight against wildlife crime, including the development of forensic technology that now allows prosecutors to determine the origins of ivory. In 2013, this type of DNA analysis was used on three large ivory seizures, and provided prosecutors in Togo with scientific evidence to build a strong case against one of West Africa’s largest ivory dealers.Helping Countries Prevent, Detect and Respond to Environmental CrimesThe Bank focuses its efforts on environment and natural resource crime prevention. Magrath says, "The Bank believes that good resource management that involves and benefits local communities helps crowd out illegal activity." The Bank's support to forest resource inventories, wildlife population studies, management planning and approaches such as community forestry should be seen as contributing to crime prevention and law enforcement.Aside from crime prevention, the Bank also helps governments grow capacity in environmental crime detection. The Bank has helped governments enhance coastal patrols and control illegal fishing in nine West African countries including Cape Verde, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Fishermen along the coast have benefited from bigger catches, which have not only boosted incomes but also created jobs in fishing supply stores and trucking operations that transport fish to markets. In Liberia, the Program on Forests, a partnership hosted by the Bank, helped put in place a sophisticated log-tracking system that keeps illegal wood from being exported. When prevention fails, governments need to be able to respond to crimes. This is why the Bank supports socially responsible police work. In Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, the Bank has worked with governments to strengthen law enforcement agencies, improve regional cooperation against wildlife trafficking and provide rangers with the training and equipment they need to protect animals such as tigers and rhinoceroses. The Bank has also helped protect forests and protected areas in Southeast Asia by supporting the establishment of a forest police agency in LAO PDR and a forest crime monitoring system in Cambodia.Safeguarding Natural Resources for Future GenerationsThe desire to protect natural resources for future generations is at the heart of the Bank’s fight against environment and natural resources crime. The destruction of just one part of an ecosystem could mean that communities have less wood for shelter, raw material for livelihoods, and food to eat.Beneficiaries of Bank projects confirm that depleted resources are not an option for the world’s poorest. "Without fish, it would be very, very bad," says Addie, who saw how the Bank's work to control illegal fishing helped increase fish stocks in Freetown, Sierra Leone. "For most, fish is the only protein available. Without the fish, we would get thin and weak—we would die." Show Less -

Wealth and World Bank Group’s twin goalsThe analyses of 136 countries compiled in the Little Green Data Book found that the share of countries with wealth depletion decreases as income levels increase,... Show More + indicating that poorer countries face severe sustainability challenges. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 28 countries were found to be depleting their wealth in 2010.These findings point to the need for including sustainability as part of the equation. The goals of the World Bank Group are to eradicate poverty and promote shared prosperity. In a world of finite planetary boundaries and natural resources it is important that any progress made toward these twin goals can be sustained in the long run and does not come at the cost of natural capital.To operationalize the twin goals, two indicators—the number of people in extreme poverty and the income growth of the bottom 40 percent—were introduced with their adoption in April 2013. Yet measuring progress toward these goals requires a better understanding of the sustainability dimensions of progress, with measurable indicators."The World Bank has been constructing a global database of country-level comprehensive wealth measures since the 1990s.But this is the first systematic attempt at including wealth indicators in World Bank business," said Glenn-Marie Lange, head of the World Bank’s environmental economics and policy team. Influencing dialogue with countriesIn recent years, the demand for analysis using wealth indicators has grown and is helping resource-rich countries such as Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Liberia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Timor L'Este, among others, to manage their natural capital, including minerals, forests, and fisheries. This has helped strengthen the World Bank’s dialogue with countries about linking economic growth and sustainable development strategies.Increasingly, countries want and need greener and more inclusive growth, as well as better ways to measure it. Several countries are working with Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES), a World Bank-led global partnership, to include the value of natural capital in their national accounts and economic decision making.The Little Green Data Book has data on other key sectors such as agriculture, forests and biodiversity, energy and emissions, water and sanitation, environment and health and oceans. Since the publication was launched in 2000, it has helped countries get a snapshot of their environmental data to get a more comprehensive picture of their economies. Show Less -

The World Bank Group-Global Environment Facility (GEF) Program is one of the institution’s largest and longest standing trust-funded programs. Since 1991, when the World Bank helped to establish the GEF,... Show More + it has integrated global environmental benefits across the Bank programs through more than 790 investment projects and programs in 120 countries (pdf) spanning every region of the world.GEF grants directly support actions to combat major environmental issues such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, polluted international waters, land degradation and desertification, and persistent organic pollutants, as well as stimulate green growth. The World Bank Group program has collectively channeled over $4.8 billion (representing 38 percent of total GEF funding disbursed) in GEF grants to the private sector, NGOs, and client countries over the past two decades, and stands out among for its sustained track record in helping design and support implementation of innovative and tailored solutions to complex multi-sector challenges. Bank Group engagement with the GEF has similarly attracted the largest share of additional funding to global environment issues at $33 billion, drawing on its capacity to bring multiple sources of financing together under a common investment framework.The program supports an active portfolio of over 200 investments which integrate learning by doing, support institutional change and policy reforms, and provide technical assistance to encourage innovation and test new approaches. It has been critical to promoting “readiness” for scaling up second generation investments by focusing on building a solid foundation for other financing partners to invest. Over 40 percent of World Bank Group-GEF projects have been blended up-front with other World Bank resources, while many others have directly led to larger scale follow-on investments. Projects managed by the Bank have also efficiently forged links with other financing sources and global programs, including the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), Carbon Finance, bilateral donors, the Global Fund for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), and the Water Partnership Program (WPP), to make the most of shared agendas and thereby generate significant economies of scale.GEF grants managed by the World Bank Group support low-carbon and carbon-resilient development in client countries that help them adapt to a changing climate by investing in climate resilient approaches. They are used to support sustainable conservation and management of protected areas, integrate biodiversity conservation into production landscapes, and design sustainable financing to encourage long-term biodiversity conservation through, for examples, conservation trust funds to ensure ongoing funding to support management efforts or payment for ecosystem schemes. Efforts also focus on prevention of carbon loss from forests, soil erosion and salinization, recovery of marginal lands, and the introduction of climate risk insurance through adaptation strategies to encourage sustainable land and water management, as well as to enhance trans-boundary cooperation and management of shared water resources in order to mitigate water pollution and build capacity and cooperation across river basins, aquifers, and seas.With a view to phasing out production and use of toxic chemicals, GEF grants also help Bank Group-implemented projects demonstrate safe techniques to destroy harmful chemicals, promote safe chemical use, and introduce emission control technologies to capture toxic gases. GEF grants are frequently paired with other sources of financing to help countries reduce vulnerabilities and increase the impact of the investment in global environmental benefits at the local level.StrategyThe World Bank Group helps client countries identify and tailor appropriate opportunities where targeted concessional funding can help advance national priorities in a more sustainable manner, by ensuring that inter-linked global environment issues are embedded in national investment frameworks in a holistic manner.The GEF program holds a fundamental belief in the higher impact from and merits of “mainstreaming” global environmental issues across all aspects of economic development. We believe it is impossible to separate global environment issues from our core mission of poverty reduction given the strong connections between these issues, and that some global environment issues such as climate change are already impacting national economic development globally in negative ways. The program aims to turn collective global challenges into opportunities for change and transformation onto a more sustainable economic development path, working with the private sector and individual countries to innovate and test new approaches to increase and influence impact at the global, regional, and national levels.The sixth replenishment of the GEF (2014-2018) has received pledges of over $4.43 billion to support developing countries' efforts to achieve the objectives of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Donors have also agreed to contribute new financing to support the implementation of the 2013 Minamata Convention on Mercury. The World Bank Group-GEF Program stands ready to help client countries use their limited GEF resources to leverage diversified sources of investment to avoid fragmentation and promote higher impact, innovate, share experiences across countries, and promote sustainable transformation and scale-up. Show Less -

Natural Capital Accounting Taking Hold Across the GlobeIn the Philippines, one of WAVES’ eight core implementing countries, NCA is taking hold. “Governments and the private sector are being challenged... Show More + to incorporate NCA into development planning,” said Emmanuel F. Esguerra, Deputy Director General of the Philippines National Economic and Development Authority. “Now we have the resources to build capacity.” Esguerra said important lessons that have come out of NCA are the need for strong government ownership, the early involvement of stakeholders and strong collaboration with experts and partners. He said the path to making NCA the "new normal" would not be a straight line because the challenges are different in every country.Many other country examples were presented to a packed auditorium on the opening day of the partnership meeting. For example:In Guatemala, the forest account showed that the country’s deforestation rate was the highest in Central and South America with the majority of uncontrolled logging being done by households for their basic cooking needs. The information has fueled strategies to control the use of firewood and unauthorized logging, a review of the forestry law, updated regulations, and the support to negotiate greater budget resources for these initiatives.In Indonesia, the government was “shocked” to find out the value of standing timber in Borneo was US$28 billion—over three times the potential revenue from logging the forest and replacing it with oil palm.In Botswana, the first set of water accounts is helping the government understand who the main water users are in the country and whether there is room to expand economic sectors like agriculture and tourism.In the Philippines, 60 percent of GDP is fueled by industries and associated services in the Laguna Lake region outside of Manila. Ecosystem accounts will be instrumental in determining how to manage this resource and “realize the cost of inaction.” Additionally, there is a moratorium on mining activity because legislators feel the profits haven't benefited local communities or the government. NCA can help inform this debate by presenting accurate data on mineral resources.In his first public address, Madagascar’s incoming Minister of Economy and Planning, Herilanto Raveloharison, committed to make NCA a priority and that WAVES would be instrumental in the country’s development plan and fight against poverty.“In Colombia, we look at accounts as a tool rather than an end in itself. They give more political power to Colombia’s natural capital at a critical point in time when we are losing 3.5% of GDP to environmental degradation. This is a red flag,” said Neider Eduardo Abello Aldana, head of the Green and Sustainable Business Office within Colombia's Ministry of Environment.Other topics discussed at the meeting included: the role of the private sector in NCA, how NCA can contribute to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and how international organizations help countries go beyond GDP.WAVES plans to increase the number of core implementing countries while raising awareness globally on the concept of looking “beyond GDP” for a more complete picture of growth and well-being. WAVES also partners with UN agencies—UNEP, UNDP, and the UN Statistical Commission—that are helping to implement natural capital accounting. Show Less -

IDA Credit: US $6.4 million equivalentTerms: Maturity= 40 years, Grace = 10 yearsProject ID: P148628Project Description: The objective of the project is to improve infrastructure and mitigate... Show More + the negative environmental impact of floods in the Cotonou agglomeration and increase the Benin’s level of preparedness for future flooding. Show Less -

The objective of the Erosion and
Watershed Management Project for Nigeria is to restore
degraded lands and reduce longer-term erosion vulnerability
in targeted areas.... Show More + Negative measures include: increased
traffic; air and noise emissions; solid wastes generation
and handling; effluents; use of natural resources; earth
movements such as landslides, earth flow, mud flow, etc;
occupational and public health issues; biodiversity loss,
endangered and exotic species; and flooding. Mitigation
measures include: a) proper disposal of construction spoil
and any hazardous waste will be stored in areas clearly
designated and labelled; b) providing complimentary
livelihood (promoting alternative means of income (which is
sustainable and adaptable for each community); c) ensure
that the air quality levels are constantly monitored which
can be obtained from relevant local air pollution control
agencies or metrology units in the states; d) roadway runoff
will not be placed directly into watercourses but allowed to
flow over grassed or pervious pavements in order to permit
the settling out of fine materials; and e) ensure that all
road signs are completed with speed limits zones and traffic
signs in place. Show Less -

The development objective of the Value
Chain Support Project for Chad is to improve: (i) targeted
aspects of the business environment; and (ii) the
performance of agro-pastoral... Show More + value chains in the Republic of
Chad. The project is composed of three components. The first
component, improving the business environment aims to the
Chad government's efforts to improve the business
environment. It comprises of following two sub-components:
(i) support with formulating and implementing business
environment reforms; and (ii) improve trade logistics
procedures. The second component, support to the meat and
dairy value chains aims to strengthen the meat and dairy
value chains by carrying out a program of activities aimed
at improving meat and milk facilities, assisting the
recipient in enhancing the meat industry to meet regionally
accepted certification standards. It is composed of
following two sub-components: (i) upgrade existing
infrastructure and facilities; and (ii) support to business
development in the meat and dairy value chains. The third
component, project management aims to build the capacity of
national institutions, especially the coordination unit that
will be responsible for project management and monitoring
and evaluation. Show Less -

PORT-LOUIS, April 28, 2014 - The Southwest Indian Ocean Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative (SWIO RAFI) will be launched during the fifth Regional Platform for Risk Transfer Mechanisms... Show More + (April 28-30), hosted by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC).The SWIO RAFI seeks to address high vulnerability of the Southwest Indian Ocean Island States to disaster losses from catastrophes such as cyclones, floods, earthquakes and tsunamis. These threats are exacerbated by the effects of climate change, a growing population and increased economic impacts. The initiative will provide a solid basis for the future implementation of disaster risk financing by improving the understanding of disaster risks and risk financing solutions of participating island nations.“Implementing the SWIO RAFI will not only improve the understanding within these Island States, but will also help to predict future risks. As an ongoing initiative, the goal is to consistently reduce the exposure to such hazards using a combination of research and a myriad of assessment tools” explained Doekle Wielinga, Sr. Disaster Risk Management Specialist at the World Bank.This project is the first phase whereby fundamental data will be collected, collated and shared on the exposure and existing hazard information for The Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zanzibar.Based on the extensive research that will be conducted, regional and national catastrophe risk financing options will be assessed, a regional open data platform will be established and preliminary national disaster risk financing strategies developed. Institutional capacity building will form an essential component of all of these efforts. During an envisaged second phase, the preliminary catastrophe risk financing strategies selected by the Island States will be further developed and made operational.According to Rafael Munoz Moreno, the World Bank Country Representative in Mauritius, "A project of this nature can be very strategic for the South West Indian Ocean Island States by exploring ways to protect against catastrophic events that have a high impact on their development, by identifying comprehensive national risk financing instruments and exploring regional instruments similar to those that have been established in the Caribbean and in the Pacific" ".SWIO RAFI complements the ongoing work of the IOC to reduce vulnerability to natural disasters in accordance with the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Program of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) 2005-2015. The initiative will be implemented with financial support from the European Union in the framework of the ACP-EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program, managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). Show Less -

The development objective of the
Emergency Urban Environment Project (EUEP) for Benin is to:
(i) improve infrastructure and mitigate the negative
environmental impact... Show More + of floods in the Cotonou agglomeration,
and (ii) increase the Recipient's level of preparedness
for future flooding. The additional financing (AF) will
capitalize on the achievements of the EUEP by enhancing
urban drainage infrastructure and improving conditions for
flood risk management and preparedness nationally. The AF
project will serve as a basis for the preparation of a
follow up operation in FY2016 as specified in the country
partnership strategy (CPS), in which other flood prone
municipalities outside the targeted project area will
benefit from further World Bank assistance; like in Northern
Benin, and in particular the departments of Borgou and
Alibori where the August 2012 floods caused significant
human and material damage. Under component three, the AF
will significantly expand project-funded wastewater
treatment piloting, which is expected to benefit
approximately 2,600 additional people by reducing the health
hazards resulting from the mix of rain runoff with latrine
and septic tank contents during floods. Under component
four, the AF will put in place the currently missing
elements for a much more effective disaster risk
preparedness and management, which is expected to result in
long term reduction of economic losses and saving of lives. Show Less -

Bank Group ContributionThe overall WB biodiversity portfolio of 245 projects in the ten years from FY2004 to 2013 included direct biodiversity commitments worth over US$ 1 billion. Of this, 27 percent... Show More + came from GEF funds, while 69 percent came from IBRD/IDA. These projects have taken place in 74 countries in all six of the WBG’s regions. Most projects were in the Africa and in the Latin America and Caribbean regions, which between them accounted for more than two thirds of biodiversity projects. In 2013, new biodiversity commitments amounted to US$ 35 million relatively low compared to previous years, but the current pipeline contains projects worth US$ 269 million.PartnersGlobal and regional partnerships are playing an important role in promoting biodiversity conservation. Some of the key partnerships are as follows:The Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF) has brought together the governments of France and Japan together with the MacArthur Foundation, the European Commission and Conservation International, and awarded grants to over 1,600 civil society organizations to reduce threats to 21 critically endangered hotspots.The Global Tiger Initiative launched in 2008 has helped strengthen political ownership by the 13 tiger countries of their endangered tiger populations.The Save our Species (SOS) program seeks to leverage private sector engagement for funding for threatened species and has provided support to 75 species across 34 countries to date.The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime is a collaborative effort of five inter-governmental organizations to bring coordinated support to national wildlife law enforcement agencies and sub-regional networks. Moving ForwardGoing forward, Bank investments in biodiversity will build on our comparative advantage as an institution that sets the benchmark for public development finance globally. The World Bank’s leadership and coordinating role within the donor community, complemented by access to trust funds and lending resources, can help mainstream biodiversity within national agendas as a critical part of sustainable development.Four areas of emphasis have emerged from our decades of experience investing in biodiversity and ecosystem services:(1) addressing policy failures through the design and application of new tools (e.g. to implement natural capital accounting), financing instruments (especially Development Policy Operations (DPOs), and partnerships (e.g. Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services WAVES), and the Global Partnership for Oceans);(2) strengthening governance and the role of public sector agencies in partnership with the private sector and civil society, focusing in particular on improving systems of governance and institution-building;(3) building resilience through investments in biodiversity and ecosystem services across landscapes in close collaboration with other sectors, particularly through the use of land-use planning, moving beyond sector silos, and mainstreaming the use of green infrastructure to reduce the exposure of physical and social capital to external shocks; and(4) reducing governments’ exposure to volatile boom-and-bust financing by creating, piloting and mainstreaming financial mechanisms that enable long-term investment in nature and create financial flows from biodiversity and ecosystem services.Beneficiaries“Training on navigation is used quite a lot during patrols. We’ve also been able to use training in the arrest of suspects through ambushes and takedowns. We’ve also found training in reconnaissance and first aid to be very helpful as well,” remarked Salak Chairacha, Enforcement Ranger Patrol Team Leader, TLNP.“It’s been a rigorous process but the long-term engagement of SOS over two years has meant we could take the time to build the formal partnerships and relationships we needed. Now we have a strong foundation for the future,” says Mr. Brad Rutherford, Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Trust. The community programmes launched with SOS support are being recognised as a key part of Pakistan’s strategy for meeting its national snow leopard survival objectives as well as the goals set by the Global Snow Leopard Forum. Show Less -

Bank Group ContributionOver the past decade, the Bank (IBRD/IDA) committed funding for US$33 billion, from which IDA’s contribution was US$7.7 billion (23 percent) to support investment in environment... Show More + and natural resource management (ENRM). By far, climate change has been the fastest growing ENRM area where the Bank is supporting client countries. Other areas that have significantly expanded in the last five years are environmental policy and institutions, and water resource management. As for the types of funding provided over the decade, development policy lending accounted for 30 percent and investment lending 70 percent of the Bank’s ENRM portfolio. The trend is in favor of development policy lending that increased to 33% of the ENRM portfolio in the last five years (FY09-13).In addition to funding ENRM projects directly, IDA has leveraged additional funds through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and other agencies and organizations. Specifically, the GEF provides grants to IDA countries to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives.PartnersAn important lesson learned is that partners are essential to face the environmental challenge because the agenda is huge and beyond the means of any single institution. Partnerships with multilateral funds such as the GEF and the Climate Investment Funds have focused on global and trans-boundary environmental issues. Close partnerships with civil society organizations have allowed a greater focus on biodiversity and social accountability in particular. Other trust funds have focused on key subsectors, such as the Program on Forests (PROFOR) or the Global Program on Sustainable Fisheries (ProFISH). Partnerships with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have allowed the Bank to broaden its analytical base. Perhaps most important, through the Climate Investment Funds the multilateral development banks are working in collaboration and demonstrating scaled-up climate action. Because the private sector plays a key role in creating jobs and technological development, it can contribute to sustainable development in ways that complement the public sector. Public-private partnerships are likely to continue growing in the near future because they are essential for achieving sustainable development in a fiscally constrained world. Moving Forward As the world becomes increasingly urbanized and the global population expands ever closer to 9 billion, the World Bank’s focus on improving environmental sustainability and building resilience to climate change will remain as strong as ever. Building on progress since the 2012 Environment Strategy, the Bank’s work will continue to focus on: • Climate change by increasing support to countries for low-carbon development efforts, and climate-smart agriculture, improving access of client countries to renewable energy, and incorporating climate-related disaster risk into development planning.• Biodiversity by strengthening client countries’ systems to protect biodiversity and combat illegal wildlife trade and wildlife crime.• Improving environmental decision-making by supporting countries to build institutions and enhance their capacity for environmental management, including efforts to improve generation of environmental and natural resources information so that countries are better equipped to make informed decisions. Through the WAVES partnership, the Bank will continue to support countries to incorporate environmental considerations into their national accounts. • Fighting pollution and improving environmental health by strengthening environmental health valuation analysis, enhancing environmental governance frameworks and policy tools, addressing environmental legacies, and improving nutrient management and control of agricultural run-off.• Oceans by supporting countries to improve management of fisheries, protect critical ocean and coastal habitat and reduce sources of pollution entering waterways and oceans. BeneficiariesIn 2009, the fishery in Ngaparou in Senegal was on the brink of collapse due largely to a combination of over-fishing from artisanal fishing and added pressure of semi-industrial fishing vessels further offshore. Every year, fewer and fewer fishermen were able to support themselves and feed their families.The World Bank has been supporting West African governments since 2009 in their efforts to better manage the region’s rich natural resources through its West Africa Regional Fisheries Program (WARFP). The WARFP has supported Ghana, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Senegal. The program supports a combination of regional cooperation, national reforms and local education and empowerment to help West African countries work together to manage their shared resources.“In the beginning, the main objective was restoration of our fish,” says Issa Sagne, President of the Local Committee of Fishers of Ngaparou (CLP). “Now, the fish are really abundant. We know when people from other villages are fishing illegally in our area when they try to sell very large fish that can only be found here now.” Show Less -

MAPUTO, April 10, 2014 -- How wealthy is Mozambique after the discovery of its resource boom?How Wealthy is Mozambique after the Discovery of Coal and Gas, a recently published World Bank policy note,... Show More + explores this question and kicks off the Development Dialogue Series in Mozambique. The series is designed to inform policy discussions around management of natural resources and the set of reforms needed to translate natural capital into other forms of capital.“The World Bank is a knowledge institution,” said Mark Lundell, World Bank Country Director for Mozambique. “Thanks to its extensive experience of development work, it has become a reliable source of development knowledge. This report and our dialogue series aim at establishing a platform for sharing that knowledge, thus contributing to public debate and ultimately inform policy making in various fields of public policy in Mozambique.”The policy note uses the Wealth Accounting method, which measures the number of assets that a country has to generate its income and that teaches us something about the sustainability of growth in the context of abundance of natural resources, and it provides some answers as to why some countries have become poorer in the long run despite being rich in natural resources."The Wealth Accounting framework shows us that the relationship between wealth and economic growth is not always positive, especially for resource-rich countries. Many of those countries grow their wealth depleting their subsoil wealth without investing it in other types of capital, thus exhibiting a negative or zero growth in their assets over the same period. In other words, in resource rich economies the high GDP growth cannot always be associated with a growing asset base but often only reflects the depletion of natural capital," said Enrique Blanco Armas, World Bank Senior Economist in Mozambique and lead author.Following the recent discovery of some of the largest reserves of gas and coal in the world, natural resource management in Mozambique has become an important topic for the country. As the report notes, the prudent management of the revenues will ultimately determine whether they translate into sustained flows of income and development dividends in the long run or not. The report also argues that the extent to which natural capital translates into other forms of capital from which to derive a sustainable income stream is what lies at the heart of good natural resources management. This is what differentiates successful natural resource rich countries from less successful ones it adds.Experience shows that the quality of governance and institutional capability are a key for countries to be able to translate natural capital into other forms of capital in an effective way. A variety of governance indicators show that Mozambique's institutions are relatively weak, raising concern about the country's ability to manage natural resources well. But the report notes that Mozambique can also build on significant progress in some key areas; democratic elections, free press and a vocal civil society suggest a gradual strengthening of civic institutions.Although the main audience of this policy note is Mozambican policy makers - the dialogue series will help broaden the discussion around management of natural resources to include civil society, private sector and the international development community. Show Less -

Maputo, April 10, 2014 - The importance of prudent management of natural resources for sustainable economic growth is the subject of the most recent publication prepared by the World Bank; the public launch... Show More + of which took place today at the Faculty of Economics, University Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), sealing a knowledge partnership with the largest university in the country."The World Bank is a knowledge institution. Thanks to its extensive experience of development work, it has become a reliable source of development knowledge. This report and our dialogue series aim at establishing a platform to sharing that knowledge, thus contributing to public debate and ultimately inform policy making in various fields of public policy in Mozambique,” said Mark R. Lundell , World Bank Country Director in Mozambique .The launch of this highly anticipated publication marks the beginning of the Development Dialogue Series program in Mozambique, and it drew a wide range of stakeholders, including development partners, researchers, policy makers, students, and media.“Evidence-based debates deepen everyone’s knowledge and inform the process of policy-making,” said Alicia Herbert, Representative of DFID Mozambique, which provided co-funding for the research. “We are pleased to support the World Bank in the preparation of this publication, which brings important elements of analysis on such a topical issue, which is the prudent management of income flows from natural resources so that Mozambique avoids being trapped in the so called resource curse."Indeed, the study uses the Wealth Accounting method to discuss how best to use subsoil wealth in Mozambique. It indicates that the development of gas and coal puts Mozambique on an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate development and improve the welfare of its population. But to generate income in a sustainable way that wealth must be wisely used, and transformed into other forms of wealth.The Wealth Accounting method, which measures the number of assets that a country has to generate its income, teaches us something about the sustainability of growth in the context of abundance of natural resources, and it provides some answers as to why some countries have become poorer in the long run despite being rich in natural resources."The Wealth Accounting framework shows us that the relationship between wealth and economic growth is not always positive, especially for resource-rich countries. Many of those countries grow their wealth depleting their subsoil wealth without investing it in other types of capital, thus exhibiting a negative or zero growth in their assets over the same period. In other words, in rich natural resources economies the high GDP growth cannot always be associated with a growing asset base, but often only reflects the depletion of natural capital," said Enrique Blanco Armas, Senior Economist at the World Bank in Mozambique and lead author of the paper.Taking into account new developments in the coal and gas sectors in Mozambique, the country's wealth doubles, but it remains paradoxically one of the poorest in Africa. So the question is: will this wealth improve the welfare of Mozambicans? It depends on how it is managed, particularly the portion of proceeds invested versus spent, concludes the report. In the last decade, Mozambique, like many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa and a great number of resource-rich countries grew depleting their natural resources - this means that economic growth does not seem sustainable in those places. To ensure the sustainability of growth, it is important to invest income derived from natural resources and ensure that those investments are productive and create the expected returns. Investing in the quality of institutions that manage public investments is therefore crucial in this process. Show Less -

Bank Group ContributionSince 2008, the Bank Group has provided $48.6 billion for energy projects, with $24 billion from IBRD, and $11.4 billion from IDA. Of the total Bank Group financing, $12.4 billion—25.6... Show More + percent—was for renewable energy projects and programs, reflecting the determination of many countries to seek lower-carbon energy solutions. Energy efficiency, and transmission and distribution accounted for nearly one-third of energy financing. About 16 percent of the portfolio since 2008 is devoted to fossil fuel projects. PartnersThe Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative, co-chaired by UN-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, is a global coalition of governments, private sector, civil society and international organizations that aims to achieve three goals by 2030: 1) Universal access to electricity and modern cooking solutions, 2) Double the rate of improvement in energy efficiency, reducing the compound annual growth rate of energy intensity to -2.6%.3) Doubling the amount of renewable energy in the global energy mix from its current share of 18% to 36% and Since 2012, some 80 partner countries from the developing world have signaled their commitment to SE4ALL.Existing investments in energy totaling about $409 billion a year need to be increased by an additional $600-800 billion every year till 2030 to achieve the above goals. Specifically, that is $45 billion more for electricity expansion, $4.4 billion more for cooking solutions, $394 billion for energy efficiency, and $174 billion for renewable energy. These estimates are in a Global Tracking Framework for the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, produced in 2013 by a team of experts from 15 agencies co-led by the World Bank Group and the International Energy Agency In addition to its leadership role in the corporate governance of the initiative, and the on-going US$7 billion annual lending program, the WBG is contributing to the three overall objectives through a number of additional initiatives:The Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) is a global knowledge and technical assistance program administered by the World Bank. ESMAP provides analytical and advisory services to low- and middle-income countries to increase their know-how and institutional capacity to achieve environmentally sustainable energy solutions for poverty reduction and economic growth. ESMAP is funded by Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, as well as the World Bank. The WBG in partnership with ESMAP will provide SE4ALL Technical Assistance for the preparation of Investment Prospectuses in 10 of the 80 SE4ALL partner countries to identify critical energy projects and help to facilitate the associated financing. ESMAP will also support the Global Geothermal Development Plan, Renewable Energy Mapping program and Energy Efficient Cities InitiativeThe World Bank-led Global Gas Flaring Reduction (GGFR) initiative is a public-private partnership that brings together representatives from major oil-producing countries and companies. The GGFR aims to minimize the flaring of natural gas associated with oil production by fostering critical collaboration between governments and industry so together they can address policy challenges and specific project implementation. These efforts are starting to pay off. Since 2005, flaring of gas has dropped worldwide by almost 20 percent, preventing over 270 million tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent roughly to taking some 52 million cars off the road. GGFR will step up flaring reduction efforts over next four years to improve the efficiency of the energy supply industry.Lighting Africa is a joint IFC and World Bank program that works towards improving access to better lighting in areas not yet connected to the electricity grid. Lighting Africa catalyzes and accelerates the development of sustainable markets for affordable, modern off-grid lighting solutions for low-income households and micro-enterprises across the continent. Lighting Asia and Global LEAP (Lighting and Energy Access Partnership) will build on Lighting Africa success in providing solar lanterns as a first step toward access.Moving ForwardThe 2013 Energy Sector Directions Paper articulates the Bank’s strategic priority for the energy sector as providing the affordable, reliable and sustainable energy needed to end poverty and boost shared prosperity. The Bank’s engagement in energy is guided by five key principles: 1) to ground our client country engagement in a holistic – long term system wide – view of power sector requirements; 2) to work towards improvements in the financial, operational and institutional environment in the sector; 3) to seek market solution and foster private sector investment; 4) to embrace a multi-stakeholder inclusive approach to energy projects; 5) to tailor interventions to individual country circumstances.The World Bank continues to share leadership with the UN of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative to achieve the three SE4All goals. The levers in achieving this target would be partnership with The Energy Sector Management Assistance Program, Global LEAP and the Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership. Show Less -